5 Hidden Gems at Spring Awakening Music Festival 2019
A music festival is more than headliners, location and intense security checks. It’s the hand made totems, the uniting of friends and the hidden gems of joy that keep people coming back. Spring Awakening Music Festival 2019 will be held on June 7, 8 and 9 just North of Chicago. The event has moved from it’s two year home, just South of the heart of Chicago, to nearby suburb, Hoffman Estates. Event organizers, React Presents, assure the grounds will be better than ever and have a line up to prove it. Names such as Griz, Zedd, Illenium, Excision, Galantis, DJ Snake, Cookie Monsta, Liquid Stranger, Space Jesus, G Jones and Golf Clap are set to take over the speakers and stages. Amongst all the big names and big changes we wanted to make sure attendees didn’t miss any of the local and home grown flavor. Here is a list of 5 hidden gems at Spring Awakening Music Festival 2019.
1. Meet and Greets at Our Music My Body Booth
Chicago based organization, Our Music My Body (OMMB), is an anti-sexual harassment group that believes no one’s concert experience should be tainted by undesirable groping and grinding. The group not only helps venues and events write anti-sexual assault policies, but they also set up as a safe space at events and offer resources for sexual assault victims. Over the weekend, the booth will host two meet and greets with artists that are down with the cause!
Grand Rapids based DJ, KAR POW will be at the OMMB booth on Sunday from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., following her 1 p.m. set on Sunday at the Silent Disco. “I think the booth and entire organization’s concept is beyond amazing and I am excited to help out,” shared KAR POW. Rise and Shine DJ Contest Winners, DoBadlyy, will be hanging out at the OMMB booth at 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday, following the duo’s set at 3 p.m. “We’re excited to meet as many beautiful people as possible,” said Shestko of DoBadlyy.
Come say “hi” and make a custom button!
2. Rise and Shine DJ Contest Winners – DoBadlyy
Like any good festival, Spring Awakening left a spot on the line up open for a little friendly competition. Listeners voted to create a top ten and the contest winner was then selected from the pool by “industry veterans.” This year’s winner of the Rise and Shine DJ Contest is heavy bass duo, DoBadlyy. The team consists of Michael Stevens and Joe Shestko. They have been collaborating via Washington and Arizona and will be uniting to perform for the first time together in Chicago. For Stevens, this will be his second performance at Spring Awakening. He took to the decks back in 2017 at the Silent Disco under his previous project, Fame. The duo formed with the intention to create house music but, found the bass too hard to resist. DoBadlyy ditched the entire collection of house tracks: obviously, it paid off. “Our set is going to be the dirtiest at the festival,” shared Stevens.
Catch the duo on Friday from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. at The Bus Stop stage. Which leads to the next hidden gem.
3. The Bus Stop
Bringing the local flavor to the massive event is The GoodBus. (You’ve caught on by now that I am obsessed with skoolies, right?) The conversion is an official stage featuring artists like Kyvian, Brvthers Keeper, Lizzy James, Mr. Bobby, Soul Tech, Karsten Sollors, Blu 9 and some intense sounding b2b’s. The bus top stage has been spotted at Burning Man, Electric Forest and this past weekend at Summer Camp. The stage is hosted by none other than local Chicago producers, GoodSex. The duo is set to throw down on the bus themselves on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Here’s a playlist with all the artists performing on The Bus Stop that we could find on Spotify!
4. Excision Detox Set
Excision is no “hidden gem” but, the concept of a “Detox Set” is. The name was blurred out upon first release of the line-up and was well worth the surprise. The first Excision Detox set was held at the artist’s inaugural year of Lost Lands in 2017. It took place at 4:20 in the afternoon on the final day of the festival. The heavy bass artist basically just took everyone’s smoking playlist and remixed the sh*t out of it. Since, Excision has done Detox Set appearances at Bass Canyon and EDC Las Vegas. He is set to perform at Spring Awakening Sunday at 7:05 p.m.
Here’s the original Detox Set for a taste:
5. Free Shuttle and Public Transit
This may not be as exciting as bass and lasers but, this is crucial. Though the festival is no longer “in Chicago” it is still relatively accessible to the transit. If not from the city, public transit can be intimidating. Regardless of where you’re from, the inflated cost for Uber and Lyft after an event is even scarier. Spring Awakening runs until 10 p.m. each night and a free shuttle will be offered to and from the Rosemont Blue Line stop between 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Blue Line runs 24 hours. Take time to map out your way home before arrival. For those weary of navigating around, both iPhone and Google maps have an option for how to get places using public transit. For those who plan to stay sober enough to drive, the grounds have on site parking for the first time ever.
Stay safe, fellow ravers.
Playlist by Robbie Tovar
Feature photo by Alycia Grace
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